


I love when days have a particular taste of you

by nupoxsi



Series: Schweinski Revival Tour '14 [1]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: 5 Times, 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - No Wives No Kids, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Götzeus if you squint, M/M, Morning Kisses, Points of View, Smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2018-02-06 03:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1842988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nupoxsi/pseuds/nupoxsi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five different days in which Bastian and Lukas are cute around their team-mates and one day they’re cute alone. Pre-WC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I love when days have a particular taste of you

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for about two weeks now, I suck. I should've finished it sooner, but welp, life, uni, World Cup, so many things happening at the same time. I want to send a thousand of kudos to [Abby](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyFick/pseuds/Kolaflor) who kept reading every bit of this that I sent her. She's a sweetheart.  
> All typos are mine, I am sorry.
> 
> Anyway, this is fiction and everything that follows is fictional. Enjoy!

i.

Per’s as excited to be there as he’s ever been. Being called up for the National Team never fails to provide him a particular joy, something he can’t quite put into words but that it’s always there whenever he wears the white jersey he so dearly loves. It’s the first morning in May after joining the rest of players who’ve been called up for the international friendlies just before the World Cup starts, and Per’s just getting in touch with the new young faces he sees around. It’s undeniable he still hangs around with the same people— at least with the ones who are still there, but there’s something special in seeing the faces of new players who are going to their first World Cup with a lifetime of dreams and expectations.

They eat breakfast at eight o’clock in the morning, and Per sits next on a table next to Philipp and Erik. They talk about several things during the whole meal, including discussions over different National Teams and players, and also chatting about the season at their respective clubs, laughing as they finish their pancakes and prepare to go to training. He’s just about to follow a group of players to the training pitch when a voice calls out for him.

“Per, wait up!”

He stops beside a small table and turns around to find a happy Lukas prancing at his direction. By now Per is already used to his usual cheerfulness, so he waves at him with a small grin.

“Hi, Poldi.”

“Morning,” he says, getting closer to him.

They hug briefly, and then start walking towards the training pitch together. From the main entrance of the hotel they are able to see a blue, cloudless sky and a green pitch waiting for them. There’s a wooden covered walkway that leads them specially to the training pitch, and it gives them an open view at the green surroundings of the hotel. Some of the players that are ahead of them seem to be too interested in the view, because Per passes by Benedikt and Mats taking a selfie at a side of the walkway. Lukas also seems to be amused by the view, but he behaves in a complete different way than the rest of their teammates. He elbows Per in the ribs as he starts to jog towards the place. He cannot do much but to trail after him until he reaches his side, the two of them jogging and maintaining the same pace.

“The day looks beautiful.”

“That’s what you’re saying now, my friend, but are you ready for a month full of sunny days?”

“I don’t know,” Per replies in honesty. “I think I’ve forgotten what sunlight feels like.”

“Maybe you’re about to rediscover it.”

In fact, he does.

When the reach the end of the walkway and are exposed to the open sky. Per immediately feels the warmth of the sunlight over his skin, and he can’t keep himself from grinning. Lukas pats him on the back and walks over at the little group of players who are already starting to warm up. Per follows, and stops right by Lukas’ side.

“Well, I kind of missed sunny days.”

Lukas laughs. “Yeah?”

“Yes. Not the London kind of sunny days— but these ones.”

“Then you’re going to love Brazil,” Lukas comments next to him as he begins to warm up. “Unless it starts raining. But I bet we’ll get plenty sunny days, which means Brazil is going to be amazing.”

In silence, they start to warm up side by side. Per looks around at the new faces and waves, being as keen as possible. Manuel’s hand on his back is a surprise as he’s stirring his legs and he soon gets his arms around Manuel’s shoulders in a quick embrace. There’s such a good vibe around the team that makes him feel confident.

As he starts working on his other leg, Per’s able to listen Lukas mumbling a melody that might be from a song by a boyband, but when he’s about to tease him about it, he beholds at how Lukas is being tackled down onto the grass. Everything happens too fast, and some of the players in the nearness turn around at them, but Lukas is laughing out loud as Bastian’s arms are around his torso keeping him down for a few more seconds before finally releasing him.

Bastian gets back on his feet first, and before the thought of helping Lukas on his feet even crosses Per’s mind, Bastian offers Lukas his hand, which he accepts. Per feels he’s been taken ten years back in time when the three of them were part of the calling ups and Lukas and Bastian were always doing pranks and laughing at everything and everyone. Good times.

“Basti!” Lukas exclaims, shaking his index finger at him in a theatrical way. “I didn’t know you were trying out for the rugby team now.”

“My, my, what I can say? I’m full of surprises.”

“Your surprises hurt.”

Bastian clicks his tongue and gets closer to Lukas, his hand rubbing circles on his upper arm. “Does this make you feel better?”

“No.”

“Too bad,” Bastian says carelessly yet Per notices how he doesn’t let go of Lukas. It’s not alien for him to see; Bastian and Lukas have always been the touchy kind of best friend, anyway. “How are you this morning, Per?” Bastian now asks, turning at his direction.

“Actually considering to start wearing enough sunscreen during trainings.”

“Oh, you better do or you’ll end up as red as a tomato in Brazil.”

“I definitely will,” Per confesses.

“Hey, do you mind if I steal Lukas from you?” Bastian inquires, his eyes narrowed and voice smooth as silk. “Just during the warms up, or so.”

Per extends both of his arms and shows off his palms at the two of them. “No problem. I see him practically everyday, and I bet you two have many thing to talk about.”

“Oh, do we, Basti?” Lukas with a cheeky smile on his face, and Bastian turns to look at him with the same smug grin and sparks in his eyes.

“We do,” he agrees, though Per doesn’t know whether he’s being sarcastic or there’s plainly an internal joke between them. Either way, he laughs as he shakes his head.

“You two haven’t changed in the last bit.”

The words make Lukas and Bastian chuckle, and soon Bastian is adding a see you later before dragging Lukas along with him to a different side of the pitch. Sometimes he wonders if those ten years have really passed or if they are still kids at heart. Per resumes his warms up but, thankfully, Mesut arrives shortly after and tells him about a text he just got from Sami.

Maybe it’s just the sunlight that somehow has a power to brighten everything up, but when Per takes a last glance at them, he swears Lukas simply shines with some sort of natural light when he’s with Bastian.

 

* * *

 

ii.

The staff sets a mini cinema —if Mario can actually call it that— on the outside of the hotel they are staying at for the whole team to watch the UCL final. There are big couches that look comfortable, brown blankets carefully folded in the middle of every couch, some big pillows that match with the couches’ cushions. There are easily enough of them for the whole team and staff to watch the final comfortably.

It’s a great idea, Mario thinks as he gets near the place. The previous day, during an indoors lunch, the conversation of whether they were all going to gather to watch the final came up, and after a sort-of-depressing chat, the conclusion was that everyone would watch it at each of their hotel rooms with their closest friends. Watching football with a larger group is more exciting than on your own.

Just as the match’s preview starts, they start to settle around the place. Marco passes by Mario’s side, pats the back of his shoulder and continues towards one of the couches in the second row. Mario smiles as he stares down at the blond one throwing one of the blankets around himself. He follows soon after and falls down next to him, their knees crashing together as he shifts in his seat. There’s no doubt he could’ve sat a few seats away from Marco and had a whole couch just to himself, but he’d rather having Marco by his side and be less comfortable at any time.

He takes a look around, and mostly everyone is already there. The rest of the team settles in little groups, just as expected. Mesut is with Lukas some couches away from him, Mats and Benedikt share a small table, and Mario is also able to see Bastian in the front row all wrapped up in a blanket already. There are some players missing, among them Manu and Thomas, but Mario thinks he overheard earlier they were up for a ping-pong match before the UCL final, which means that maybe they’ll come by later.

“You rooting for anyone in particular?” Mario murmurs minutes after the match begins, tearing his gaze from the screen to settle on Marco’s focussed face.

“Not really. But I just don’t want Real to win.”

Mario chuckles. “I figured.”

“They kicked us out, and they kicked you out too, dear Mario, so I guess it’s logical we are not rooting for Real Madrid.” He shrugs. “But anything can happen and— look, Simeone’s taking Diego Costa out of the game.”

Mario turns his gaze back to the match and, effectively, Diego Costa’s injury is still there. “That’s awful.”

After that, they fall into a comfortable silence as they watch the match.

Unexpectedly, Atlético scores the first goal, and Mario can swear he hears some voices mumbling _yes_ and _finally_. When Marcelo scores the third goal for Real Madrid it’s crystal clear which team is taking the trophy tonight. The group of players around Mario make an unamused sound when they show the goal from four different angles, and he notices how Marco rolls his eyes in annoyance. Mario takes a glimpse at the other players’ faces, and finds a small smile in Mesut’s face.

And barely one minute after Marcelo’s goal celebration, the referee gives Real Madrid a penalty.

“It wasn’t a penalty,” Marco says with indignation, yet he laughs at the end of the sentence.

“What a Champions League final.”

“Did you actually see that, Mario? He fucking—”

“Oh, _for fuck’s sakes!_ ” He hears Bastian shouting loudly from the front row and louder than Marco’s voice. “You gotta be kidding me.”

Marco and Mario exchange a look before laughing under their breaths. They don’t really need to look at what’s happening in the match, it’s a known fact Cristiano scores the penalty and assures Real Madrid’s well deserved victory.

At his side, Marco hugs the blanket tightly around himself. “The ref shouldn’t have done it. That was completely unnecessary.”

Mario agrees, mostly because they were already three to one and Atlético was barely attacking when the referee gave Real the penalty.

Whatever he wants to reply gets lost as his attention settles on what’s happening a few couches away. Lukas is suddenly jumping from one couch to another, and as he passes just by Mario’s he notices the man has a huge smile on his face. Mario doubts it’s due to the score, yet he doesn’t get what’s going on until Lukas stops just as he reaches the couch in which Bastian rests at, practically falling on top of him.

Most of the players around have certainly stopped watching the game to focus their attention on them. Mario finds himself smiling at the way Lukas makes Bastian laugh. The two of them seem to exchange a few words that are private to their ears and then Bastian is making room for Lukas in the couch and throwing the brown blanket to cover both of their bodies. They end up like that, cuddling together as the rest of the team giggles and try to pay attention to what’s happening in the screen.

It’s a cute gesture, the purest image of love and camaraderie Mario’s seen in a while. He questions whether his friendship, relationship with Marco will ever be similar to that the one Bastian and Lukas have, if someday they will cuddle in front of everyone without giving a flying fuck what anyone would think about them.

When his eyes meet Marco’s, Mario wonders if he’s thinking the same.

 

* * *

 

iii.

The alarm clock’s constant beeping wakes Miro from a heavy sleep. He prompts himself by his elbows, the blanket falling to his lower body as he starts to sit up. The day is bright and new, and it would be completely silent if it wasn’t for the voices coming from the other bed in the room.

“Your elbow is digging into my ribs.”

“Hey, you were the one who insisted to come sleep in here.” Lukas’ voice is even deeper in the mornings, raspy and groggy like he’s just woken up in the middle of the night. “I told you, these beds are too small.”

Miro rubs the sleep off his eyes, and once he blinks a few times, he’s able to appreciate the whole picture. Lukas and Bastian are both curled up in the bed opposite of his own, the pale yellow blanket covering only their lower bodies and exposing their naked torsos to the morning sunlight that illuminated the room.

“You look beautiful in the mornings.”

“Always, you mean.”

Lukas chuckles. “Keep dreaming, Basti.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Bastian asks in a rather cheerful voice, and he’s on his way to meet Lukas’ lips when suddenly he turns his head, eyes meeting with Miros’. He notices the way Bastian’s eyes widen in surprise, and despite he wants to say something to let him know it’s okay, Miro keeps silent. “Oh.”

Lukas laughs. “ _Oh_ what?”

Miro has to admit he laughs on the inside when Bastian’s hand theatrically takes hold of Lukas’ jaw and turns it just so he can look at Miro. Once more, the slight look of surprise is present on Lukas’ face, and Miro believes his jaw would drop if Bastian’s fingers weren’t keeping it in place. However, the sudden shock is soon gone and Lukas is smiling broadly at him, one of those big, giant grins with white teeth he so often gives.

“Oh, good morning, Miro!”

“Morning to you two, too, “ he shortly replies. “Had a good night?”

“We did! A great one.”

“ _Lukas_ ,” Bastian hisses in a low voice.

“I’m glad.”

“Yeah.” Lukas stirs lazily, and Miro wonders whether he’ll fall off the rather small bed if he keeps moving. “Took Basti with me because, you know, he— uh, I—”

“Lukas has been having some troubles sleeping,” Bastian interrupts. “He’s been having awful, creepy nightmares out of lately, so he asked me to come here.”

Lukas nods eagerly, almost as if he needs the motion to believe in those words. “So many nightmares. They’re horrible, Miro. I once dreamt my fingers were ice cones and the sun was melting them— melting my fingers!”

There’s a moment of absolute silence, Miro’s brows furrow together as he tries to even picture something like that. It’s such a bullshit lie the only thing he can do is laugh out loud, letting one of his hands fall hard to the mattress as both Lukas and Bastian’s laughter join his own.

“Alright. Nightmares,” Miro says in disbelief. “You should’ve told me sooner, we could have traded roommates, Poldi.”

“We wouldn’t want to bother you, Miro,” Bastian replies for the two of them, and he knows he truly means the words.

“Ah, we’re far past that. I’ll talk to Jogi in the afternoon and tell him I’m trading places with Bastian. It’s fine, it’s been years since I was last roomed with Philipp. There’s no need to thank me, it’s truly nothing.” They both look as if if they were kids on a candy store and he’s just told them they can eat anything they want. Once again, he thinks of the two young boys he met back in 2004 and how little they’ve truly changed in ten years. “Poldi, you wanna shower first?”

“Oh! Yeah, I do, yes.”

Miro is still staring at them with a small smile when he catches a glimpse of Bastian’s hand taking hold of Lukas’ wrist before he gets the chance to get off the bed.

“Why don’t you let Miro take the first shower? Breakfast is in half an hour.”

“Well, Basti, he offered to—”

“I know he did, but…”

“ _Oohh_ ,” Lukas says, dragging the vowel and falling down onto the pillows again. “He’s right. You take the first shower, Miro, it’s alright.”

“Sure.”

Bastian and Lukas offer him a keen smile in return as he gets on his feet and makes his way to the bathroom. He closes the door behind him and locks it up. Sometimes he wonders if Lukas and Bastian even try to hide it anymore. Not that he has anything against them— but for crying out loud, they’re not subtle at all.

Yet as he brushes his teeth, Miro thinks it’s better if he forgets to mention he saw all of their clothes spattered over the floor next to Lukas’ bed in when he stood up from the bed.

 

* * *

  

iv.

The night after their second international friendly, the staff decides to throw a big dinner for the whole team. All of the players and some of the members from the staff are wearing their respectives suits and gathered at the restaurant to celebrate the win. Six goals is always something to celebrate, but there are many sad faces among the players due to Marco Reus’ awful injury.

Philipp is seated between Toni and Mats, Bastian occupies the seats in front of him and Lukas is right beside Bastian. It’s a good moment to joke about meaningless things and compare some of their tactics to the ones of four years ago. Philip is proud of them, proud of himself for achieving so much, for learning of his own mistakes and growing as a football player.

“Dessert is here!” Lukas exclaims cheerfully as a waitress approaches them.

A tall woman carries a tray with four different dessert and she gracefully places them in front of each of them. He picked a small of strawberry pie, whilst Toni and Mats ordered each a slice of apple strudel. The remaining dessert she places on the table is a whole cup of chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top, right in front of Bastian, who mumbles a sweet thank you at the lady as she gives a little bow and goes away.

“Are you going to eat all that?” Toni asks incredulously. “Isn’t it…too much?”

Bastian chuckles, pushing the crystal cup between Lukas and him. “Of course it is too much, that’s why Lukas is going to eat half of it.”

“No,” Lukas intervenes, lifting his index finger, “let me correct that sentence: you are going to feed me _most_ of it.”

“I don’t know what I expected,” Philipp says with a little laugh.

“Yeah, same,” Toni adds. “Should’ve seen it coming.”

Bastian and Lukas chuckled lightly at that, not really replying at any of those words. Philipp tries the strawberry pie, which is incredibly good, and judging by the happy noises coming from both Toni and Benedikt, the strudel is equally good. When Philipp glances at his friends, he finds Bastian digging a spoon into the pudding and leading it to Lukas’ lips.

“Good?” Mats asks.

Lukas shows his thumb up at him. “Perfect.”

“It is,” Bastian confirms, licking the spoon clean. “It truly is.”

Lukas stares at Bastian, and his expression is so tender Philipp feels Toni subtly elbowing him in his ribs.“It’s a good thing I told you to order it, huh?”

Toni chuckles. “You following Poldi’s orders now, Basti?”

“He said he’d kick me in my sleep if I ordered one of those apple strudels,” Bastian says, shaking his head. “I know all of his threats are meaningless, but I do as he tells me every now and then.”

“You meant always.” Lukas nudges his upper arm. “I’m that irresistible.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Podolski.”

“Anyway, now that you mention it, I’m sleepy,” Lukas mumbles as he takes another spoonful of pudding into his mouth. “I want to sleep.”

“Why don’t you sleep early today?” Philipp asks.

“I want to, but _the pudding_.”

Bastian nods in acknowledgment. “Yes, _the pudding,_ indeed. You need to eat and only then you can go get some sleep. There’s no way I’m eating all of this by myself.”

“It’s a good thing I can use you as my personal pillow.” Lukas’s head drops on top of Bastian’s shoulder, a happy expression on his face. “So comfy.”

“Can you see this, Philipp? He abuses me! Asks me to give him sweets, then he uses me as his pillow…”

Lukas grunts against his shirt before he even got time to reply. “Basti, stop complaining and feed me pudding, or else I’m going to fall asleep.”

The guys at the table laugh at Lukas’ attempt of serious command, really perceiving the sleep in his voice. Bastian simply shakes his head and digs the spoon into the creamy pudding, doing just as Lukas said. It’s evident that Toni and Mats don’t see far beyond Lukas and Bastian’s friendship, but Philipp does.

It doesn’t take a genius to put the pieces together. When Miroslav asked Philipp if they could room together and let Lukas and Bastian, he fully understood what was going on. Not that he judges them, he’d never judge two of his best friends, but it would be nice if Bastian had been the one to ask him for once. Carefully, Philipp eyes them as he eats the strawberry pie, studies Bastian’s face when Lukas snuggles closer to Bastian’s neck. It’s been so long since Philipp has seen them like that, he feels so young all of the sudden, as if it’s one of the first times he’s being called up and not his hundred-and-so.

“That’s it,” Lukas informs, lifting his head from Bastian’s shoulder and rubbing one of his eyes as he stands up. “I need to get some proper sleep. You coming, Bastian?”

Bastian looks up to meet his eyes. “Nah, I’ll finish the dessert and then I’ll be right up.”

“Alright.” He nods, then turns to smile at Philipp and the men at his sides. “ _Boa noite_.”

“Night, Poldi.”

“Rest,” Philipp adds. “Tomorrow training starts at nine o’clock.”

“Will do, captain!” Lukas grins widely. “See you later, Basti.”

And it’s only when Bastian winks at him that he gets on movement. After Lukas disappears into the hallway, sleep seems to be contagious for the lot of them. Perhaps it’s the lack of jokes on the table compared to when Lukas is around, or it’s actually late and they haven’t realised it yet. Philipp finish his strawberry pie fast enough, and Toni is paying his goodbyes just as Bastian finishes what’s left of his pudding.

“I think I’m going too, Basti,” he comments as he takes a last sip of water from his glass. “I’m a bit tired too.”

“Ah, then I better come with you.”

With that being said, they both stand up from their chairs, Bastian immediately stepping right by Philipp’s side. He’s about a head taller than Philipp, which every now and then makes him feel like Bastian is the big little brother he never had. They say goodnight to some of the players they find in the lobby, yet they don’t get engaged in any conversations. They walk across a long hallway that takes them to the lifts, and thankfully, they’re the only ones in the place. Bastian is staying one floor below Philipp’s, so he presses button seven and eight once they get into the lift.

Q bit uncomfortable by his thoughts, he shifts in place for a second. A part of Philipp wants to tell Bastian to lay a bit low. Not because he has any problem concerning their relationship, but because not everyone is as understanding as they should be. It’s Philipp’s only worry about Bastian. The last thing he wants is to see him hurt— in any way, by stupid comments, by the press finding out, by —God forbid— any of his teammates. Maybe it’s because he’s the captain, or some other factor he isn’t aware of, but he always feels the need to protect his friends, and especially Bastian.

He’s about to turn around so he can stare up at Bastian, but then his friend’s arms are suddenly around his shoulders keeping him in place, pressing his chest against Philipp’s back, a tight embrace shortly followed by a fading laughter. Philipp treasures moments like those, in which Bastian shows off affection to him without any reason whatsoever. He’s so thankful for having a friend like him, his hands landing on Bastian’s arms to squeeze reassuringly, smiling as he catches a glimpse of their reflection on the back of the lift’s metallic doors.

“Ah, my dear Philipp,” he breathes into his ear lightly, “we’re going to do awesome in Brazil.”

He giggles. “I’m glad you think so.”

“I hope the feeling will be contagious.”

Philipp hopes so too, because he doesn’t think he can carry the weight of so many ups and lows anymore. At least not alone.

“It’s a good thing that I’ve got you,” Philipp blurts out with a heavy puff of air. The last time they’ve exchanged some emotional words had been after the UCL games against Real Madrid, and Philipp has to use each of those moments because he doesn’t know when they’re going to be back. “Don’t I?”

Bastian’s hand on his shoulder rubs softly small circles over the fabric of suit, his cheek pressed against Philipp’s. “Of course you do. You will always have me. Whether we win, draw or be defeated, I’ll always be here for you.”

He doesn’t questions those words, because he knows they’re true.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t even mention it,” Bastian says squeezing him with affection just as the lift reached the sixth floor. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

“Have a good night, Basti.” Just as the doors open Bastian lets go of him, showing his thumbs up as he storms into the hall. “Tell Poldi to actually have some sleep tonight.”

“We’ll do, I promise.”

“And Basti,” he calls out for him, holding the button that keeps the lift’s doors open. Bastian turns around face him, hands in his pockets. Philipp softens his expression, smiling kindly at him.“I forgot to tell you- you look happy.”

Bastian’s lips curve into a honest smile. “I am, Philipp, I truly am.”

“Good.”

They nod lightly at each other in acknowledgement just as Philipp lets go of the button, the metallic doors slowly closing in front of him.

As long as Bastian is happy, everything is okay.

 

* * *

 

 

v.

“Manu, are you asleep?”

Lukas’ voice makes him open his eyes and pause the song he’s been playing for the last five minutes. Manuel turns his head to find a radiant Lukas at his side, ducking so they can be on a similar level.

“Not actually, what’s up?”

“Can you stand up a second? I promise it won’t be long.”

They’re on their way to Brazil, each of them in one of the most comfortable seats on the plane. Lukas’ seat is on the front row and Manuel’s just behind him, so he doesn’t quite understand what for. He’s way too comfortable to stand up, a blanket wrapped around him and the headphones still covering his ears, but once he gets a glimpse of the mischievous look on Lukas’ face he cannot say no.

“Okay.”

Lukas smiles. “I owe you.”

Manuel takes about two minutes standing up and leaving all of his things in order, which consists of a book he’s only read three pages of, the blanket, his iPod and the headphones. He stands close to the small window and doesn’t miss the chance to stare at one of the most beautiful landscapes a man wishes to see. It’s impossible not to feel blessed when he gets to see similar things.

His attention goes back to Lukas, and it doesn’t take him much time to understand Lukas’ needs. Bastian, who occupies the seat next to Manuel, has been sleeping for about an hour now, just as over half the players who were currently in that flight. Lukas is at Bastian’s side, his arm resting on the back of the seat, just above his head, and he’s taking a selfie of the two of them. Honestly, it’s something Manuel would’ve never thought about doing himself— not that he isn’t into selfies--, but the thought has never crossed his mind.

Lukas stands straightly after he takes the picture, and Bastian is –thankfully— still asleep by then.

“Can you do one last thing for me?” Lukas asks with an expression similar to the one of a kid who really wants a candy. “I’ll owe you even more.”

Manuel actually laughs. “You don’t owe me anything, Poldi. What do you need?”

He hands him the phone, and Manuel takes him. The camera is on, so he doesn’t even need to ask what to do. It’s a bit difficult to stand in front of Bastian, given that he has his legs stretched, but Manuel manages to stand at a perfect angle where he captures both Lukas’ face close to Bastian’s sleeping body.

“You take it when I count down to three, okay?”

“Oh, yes,” he agrees with a wide grin. “Okay.”

“Okay; one, two… _three_!”

Just as Lukas says the word Manuel’s fingertip carefully presses the button and he captures the moment. It takes a couple of seconds for the picture to load, but once he does, Manuel can’t help but chuckle. Lukas is pressing a small peck right on Bastian’s jawline, and if it wasn’t for his over exaggerated expression, the picture would actually be kind of cute.

Needless to say, Bastian wakes up from the contact, but Manuel is nimble enough to hide the phone away before Bastian realises the truth behind everything. Lukas offers Manuel a small wink.

“Poldi?” Bastian’s voice is heavy with sleep, and it makes. “What’s up?”

“Hey, sleepyhead. We’ll arrive in about thirty minutes, I thought you might want to know.”

“I was _sleeping_.”

“I know that,” Lukas says matter-of-fact, reaching down to place another peck on Bastian’s cheek, now when he’s conscious. “But still.”

Bastian grunts, looking somewhat annoyed by the fact of being woken up, but he shifts on his seat and reaches for Lukas’ hand. “Did he make you stand up so he could wake me up?” He asks Manuel.

“Maybe,” he says, “but Poldi’s right, we’ll be arriving soon.”

In that moment, when Bastian and Lukas are both staring into each other’s eyes, Manuel feels somehow like a stranger. Not that he doesn’t know about them, Bastian and Lukas’ proximity has never been a secret for Manuel, not even since he was first called up for the National Team. They have a certain spark when they’re together, as if the room lights up whenever they are together.

Perhaps it’s because Bastian actually told him about them a few months after he joined Bayern. Their relationship has much history than most of people think, and Manuel is thankful Bastian has never hid himself around him, that he’s always been honest. Truth be told, it’s in moments like those, when it’s only a small gesture that Manuel honestly sees the _love_ Bastian has told him of.

“See?” Lukas asserts. “I’m trying to prevent you from being jetlagged.”

“Please, Lukas, do not bother me until we’re actually in Brazil,” Bastian informs, hugging the blanket as if it were a pillow. “Manu, would you keep an eye on him for me?”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Now forget I exist until the plane lands in Brazil.”

Manuel and Lukas exchange a comical look as they both return to their respective seats, mostly because they’re both aware of Bastian’s sleeping habits, and they know he won’t be able to sleep anymore. Manuel spends the rest of the flight having a chat with Lukas and noticing how Bastian keeps looking at them out of the corner of his eye when he thinks they’re not looking.

*      *      *

Brazil is nice. Manuel really likes the weather and the beaches around the place they’re staying at. It’s a different energy than the one from Europe, but a good kind of different. True, it’s merely their second day in the country and there’s still so much to know about it Manuel cannot even start to imagine it, but so far he finds everything completely amazing.

They’ve been given the rest of the day free due to an intense training session that morning, so the players are hanging around the place. Some of them decided to go down the beach, others are enjoying one of the two big pools they have at their disposition, and the rest are probably resting. Manuel is actually bored— Benedikt fell asleep just after one round of PES, and he’s got no reason to stay the whole day inside the room if Benedikt is going to be sleeping. Manuel carefully covers Benedikt with the sheets from his bed and exits their room in silence.

He’s barely made it to the end of the hallway by the time he hears Bastian calling out for him.

“There you are! I knew you’d be here.”

“Hi, Basti,” he replies, stopping by the lifts so Bastian can reach his side. “Going anywhere in particular?”

“In fact, yes. I need you for my revenge plan.”

He laughs at how childish it sounds. “Revenge plan?”

“Against Lukas,” Bastian explains quirking a brow in a teasing manner. “You saw the picture he uploaded to all his Instagram yesterday, I am sure you did. He even hashtag aha’d it! So now I need to have my revenge.”

“Your revenge being?”

Bastian winks at him as he hands him his phone. “Slide the picture, there’s more than one.”

More than one ends up being about ten pictures of Lukas sleeping in one of the wide wooden chairs from outdoors, completely out of consciousness and off to dreamland. Bastian surely knows how to take revenge, if it can actually be called that, because he made sure to take different pictures from several angles.

“Is he drooling in the third one?”

“Just a little,” Bastian says proudly. “I’ll make a collage of the best ones and uploaded them to my Facebook. I’ll spare the one in which he’s drooling only because I love that idiot.”

“Wow, I can see you’ve fulfilled your atrocious act of revenge.”

“Partially, I still need your help for my perfect ending.”

“Which is?”

Bastian narrows his eyes filled of playfulness as a smirk draws on his face. “Follow me.”

At first Manuel has his doubts, mostly because he wants to try a pineapple drink Benedikt wouldn’t shut up about earlier, but the day is far from over and Bastian is his one of his closest friends, so he can’t say no to him. The pineapple drink can definitely wait. Manuel follows him into the lift, and isn’t surprised when Bastian presses the ground floor button.

“You know, Manu, I’m so happy you’ve accepted to come willingly,” Bastian comments just as the lift reaches their floor and they start walking towards the lobby. “Lukas told me you were involved in his prank.”

“I didn’t!— not exactly.”

“No excuses, you betrayed me.”

The fake hurt in Bastian’s voice only makes Manuel laugh, yet he still reaches for him and pulls him closer, looping an arm around his shoulders as they walk across some chairs and take the path that leads him towards one of the pools.

“But here I am, helping you,” Manuel says cheerfully as he rubs his hand up and down Bastian’s shoulder. “Aren’t I?”

“You are, you are.” Bastian pulls them both towards the grass until they reach the place Manuel saw in the pictures. “Okay, here’s the plan.”

Manuel narrows his eyes in disbelief. “You have a plan?”

“Oh, shut up, dumbass, or you’ll wake him up.”

“Speak, then.”

“The plan is simple, but everything needs to be done fast,” Bastian says in a lower voice, leaning closer to Manuel’s side once they’re both in front of. “I need your help because I trust you, and if I asked Philipp for his help, he’d probably say I’m crazy and he’d start lecturing me, and I do not have time for any of that, to be honest.”

“If Philipp thinks you’re crazy then maybe you are.”

“I’m awesome!” He exclaims. “The thing is— I’m gonna do something, you need to take a picture. It has to be fast.”

“Sounds easy. Pretty much what I did for Poldi before, huh?”

Bastian doesn’t reply, only hands him the phone with a smirk as he gets closer to Lukas. It somehow reminds  Manuel barely moves so he can take a better shot of the two of them, and they know at each other in mutual agreement. All of the sudden Bastian is practically jumping on top of Lukas, his legs at each side of Lukas’ hips, taking hold of his face with both hands and pressing his lips over Lukas’. Thankfully, Manuel is able to capture the kiss before it’s over, and he then sees Bastian falling entirely on top of Lukas, rolling him to his side and waking him up immediately.

It’s the first time Manuel sees them kissing, but he doesn’t really mind. In fact, if they weren’t in an open space he’d actually cheer them to do it more often. But only then he gets what Bastian meant. Without a doubt, Philipp would give him a lecture if he were there. Manuel turns around and looks at his surroundings only to check if someone is staring at them, but he’s happy to confirm the only ones around the place are too busy sleeping or reading magazines.

“Basti…”

“You thought I wouldn’t get my revenge?” Bastian replies loud enough so Manuel can hear. “You’re dumber than I thought, Podolski.”

Manuel shakes his head and takes a step closer, handing the phone back to Bastian. “Here.”

Bastian mouths a thank you at Manuel just before he turns on his heels to leave the place. Manuel only nods in reply and then proceeds to go towards the bar and order the pineapple drink. It’s undoubtedly going to be an interesting World Cup.

 

* * *

 

 

i.

Waking up next to Lukas is a blessing given by Gods themselves. There’s nothing about it that Bastian hates. The beauty about it is always in the simplest things. He loves being woken up by Lukas’ small snorts just before his alarm clock goes off, loves the feeling of their limbs tangled up together like branches of some old tree, loves running the tip of his fingers across Lukas’ naked back only to feel him. Those are little things that are worth going to hell back and forth for, things that he wouldn’t trade for anything in the whole world.

He isn’t entirely sure if Philipp had something to do with it, possibly he did, but somehow they were assigned the bedroom with the larger beds in the whole place. That earned a complaint from Thomas, but he was easy to bribe, as usual. Lukas insisted on keeping one of the beds undone at night just in case, a thought that Bastian doesn’t quite shares but does understand. If making another bed in the mornings keeps Lukas less anxious about sleeping together, he’d make whatever beds Lukas wanted him to.

The room isn’t particularly dark, there’s a small gap between the windows’ blinds from which a beam of sunlight softly creeps into the room, and Bastian lifts his free hand so he can touch it, feel the warmth over his skin in the chilly air of their bedroom. Lukas is still asleep at his side, resting on top of Bastian’s other arm. He looks peaceful in his sleep, and Bastian cannot keep from caressing his cheek with the back of his hand, smiling at the feeling of his two-day scruff against his skin.

Lukas purrs and snuggles closer to him, their legs twined together as they’re meant to be. The sheet over them only covers the lower half of their bodies, and Bastian sees how Lukas’ naked arms are covered in goosebumps thanks to the air conditioner of the room. He tries to cover him as he wraps his arm around him again, his fingertips moving up and down Lukas’ back muscles. The contact makes Lukas stir in his arms, which encourages Bastian to press a small, soft kiss on the skin of Lukas’ neck.

“Morning, sunshine.”

“Basti...” Lukas mumbles with his scratchy voice, eyes still closed shut. His arm drops just over Bastian’s waist, hand creeping beneath the white shirt he wears as pyjamas. “Isn’t it too early?”

He keeps kissing Lukas’ neck, only because he can. “Maybe.”

It’s amazing how ten years have passed and they’re just the same. Bastian still remembers, will always remember the first night they fell asleep in the same bed and woke up with their bodies intertwined, their noses pressed together as they breathed the same air. It’s the same sensation as the one he had when he opened his eyes that day to find out that that was the place he was meant to be, that they were truly meant to be together. If someone asks him what has changed in all of those years, Bastian’d probably answer that Lukas doesn’t mumble _‘Schweini’_ as he’s still half asleep, that he now uses _‘Basti’_ instead. Apart from that, it’s all the same. The glances, the touches, the feelings.

“Did you sleep well?”

Lukas chuckles huskily. “I always sleep well when you’re beside me.”

Those words make him feel so special and unique. Lukas is a gentle person, but he’s always been particularly sweet with Bastian in a way he’s never been with someone else. Lukas open his eyes, blue as a cloudless summer sky, and Bastian is able to see that spark in his eyes as he lifts one of his hands to rub them.

“We should be meeting with others in about twenty minutes.”

“But I just woke up.”

“I am aware of that,” Bastian reckons with a small laugh. His face is barely inches away from Lukas’, the tip of their noses pressing together. “And believe me when I say I wished we could stay in bed a little bit longer.”

“I trust you.”

Their eyes lock together and Bastian wishes he had the ability to froze time for as long as he wanted, because he’d use it for moments like those, in which the only thing that matters is the intimacy between them. He closes the small distance between them to press his lips over Lukas’, fitting perfectly. Morning kisses are one of the purest types of kisses, he loves feeling Lukas’ smiling as he tries to deepen the kiss, loves how Lukas is suddenly grabbing his shirt and pulling their bodies closer together.

Bastian loves mornings, kisses, and he especially loves Lukas.

“Shower?” Lukas mutters over his lips.

“Shower.”

They press their lips together, a small and soft kiss just before Lukas is stirring like a lazy cat. Bastian lets go of his torso, yet he keeps a hand on Lukas’ bicep as he sits up in bed, smoothly travelling across his tanned skin.

Lukas eventually gets up the bed, and Bastian’s fingertips brush all the length of his arms and his fingers. Sometimes he finds it hard to believe it’s been ten years of mornings, of laughter and tears, ten years of him, ten years of them. Bastian’s eyes fix on Lukas’ back as he lays on the bed, travelling downwards to see the curve of his bum as he only wears a pair of black boxers. Basti’s tried to make him put on descent pyjamas over the years, but all of his attempts have been completely fruitless, and, honestly, it’s not as if it bothered him. Lukas’ got one of the nicer bodies he’s ever seen, and he smiles just to think that’s _his_. In his way to the bathroom, Lukas ditches his boxers on the floor, taking a glance over his shoulder to wink at Bastian.

“Well, Basti, you coming or what?”

Lukas turns around to stare at him only seconds before he goes into the bathroom, a suggestive brow arched in his direction. It breaks his line of thought, and once again Bastian smiles, pushing back the sheets and taking his white shirt off. He wants to say _yes, I’ll always be coming if you want me to_ , wants to tell him so many things that his mind gets crowded with words and his chest aches from all the feelings he has. But Lukas already knows that and many more things, there’s no need to confess something that’s a fact for the two of them. Bastian simply gets off the bed, walks towards the bathroom as he takes his clothes off and leaves them right beside Lukas’, making a mental note to pick them up later.

He walks in to find Lukas brushing his teeth, and smiling one of those goofy grins on the mirror reflection.

“ _Always_ ,” Bastian says, his arms looping around Lukas’ waist and kissing his neck.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, hi I know there are some irregularities with real life events but this is a work of fiction so bear with me.


End file.
